Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon has embarked on a regional tour
to neighbouring Djibouti, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi and possibly Kenya,
at the head of a high-level delegation which includes Defence Minister
Abdihakin Haji Mohamud Fiqi and Homeland Security Minister Abdikarim
Hussein Guled.

The Prime Minister, who left here Wednesday for Djibouti, said he
wanted to discuss issues including regional security, trade, improving
human rights, greater partnership and development with Somalia's
neighbours.

The Somali delegation was welcomed at Djibouti by Djibouti Prime
Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed. After meeting with President Ismail
Omar Guelleh and holding talks with government officials, the delegation
will travel to Ethiopia on Friday.

The Prime Minister said the new Somalia highly regarded the strong and
healthy relationship it had with its neighbours and the time had come to
"thank and congratulate AMISOM and IGAD member states on their efforts
to stabilise the county".

The trip by the Somali Prime Minister is set to boost relations with
East African countries which have contributed troops to the African
Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Since his election, he has been making "Listening and Learning" tours
to the central and southern regions of Somalia. After concluding the
second phase of his tour within the country, the Prime Minister
immediately started his tour of the East African region.

Meanwhile, several MPs in Somalia's Federal Parliament on Wednesday
have arrived in the port city of Kismayo which is located 500 km south
of the capital, Mogadishu.

According to our source radiowidhwidh.com, the MPs went there to show
their full support to the ongoing Jubaland Conference which is designed
to form a new administration for the Jubba and Gedo region of Somalia.